UK soon to declare Wagner mercenary company a terrorist organization, reports FT
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The United Kingdom is planning in the coming weeks, to formally declare Russia’s Wagner mercenary company a terrorist organization, UK government insiders say, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Aug. 23.
The country’s Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, will soon make this announcement in accordance with the powers outlined in the UK’s Terrorism Act of 2000. This decision comes after months of concerted efforts by officials to build a solid legal case.
The move would place Wagner within the same legal classification in the UK as groups like Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Hezbollah.
The FT highlights that these changes would potentially lead to the confiscation of Wagner financial assets, designating them as properties of terrorists subject to seizure, rather than mere freezing.
Insiders reveal that the proposed measure has unanimous support across the government. However, the House of Commons foreign affairs committee has recognized the associated risks with banning Wagner, such as potentially driving its activities underground and risking diplomatic ties between the UK and countries where the mercenaries operate.
UK MPs have emphasized that this step could simplify legal actions against Wagner officials in courts in the UK and facilitate the use of existing mechanisms to block funding for terrorist groups. Lawmakers concluded that “the activities of the network already fulfill the UK’s legal threshold for proscription.”
The UK has already imposed sanctions on Wagner and its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, as well as several senior commanders within the company. This includes both formal individuals and surrogate companies linked to Wagner, who are alleged to have led some of the most intense combat operations in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine and engaged in numerous war crimes.
These sanctions have also targeted militants responsible for casualties, instances of torture, and the provocation of instability within African nations.
Previously, the FT reported that the UK had delayed its intention to classify Wagner PMC as a terrorist organization due to the attempted rebelling by “Wagnerites” in Russia.
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